THE Kingston and St Andrew Corporation (KSAC), which has already given up more than $15 million in fees through the granting of waivers for the erection of billboards and banners relating to the Cricket World Cup tournament, on Wednesday gave notice that no further applications for waivers would be considered.

At the ceremony to officially rename Emerald Road, George Headley Drive, Kingston Mayor Desmond McKenzie said that the KSAC could not afford to grant further waivers.

“I want everybody to understand that we just cannot give up any more revenue. I want people to recognise that we have responsibilities and our responsibility is to see that the city looks good,” the mayor said.

He said that the KSAC was spending more than $35 million to prepare the municipality. Included in that figure, he said, is the resurfacing of George Headley Drive.

The money spent by the KSAC also included the installation of 300 stop signs and repairing 45 roads, he said.

McKenzie also used the occasion to brush aside comments that he said were made at Monday’s post-Cabinet press briefing regarding Wednesday’s ceremony.

“At a press briefing this week the suggestion was made that there was no need for this function, because this road was officially named George Headley Drive and opened sometime ago. But only the KSAC has the authority to do so and we are officially doing so today on the eve of Cricket World Cup,” McKenzie remarked.

He said that the resolution for Emerald Road to be renamed George Headley Drive was first moved and passed by the KSAC as far back as 1991.

McKenzie went on to pay tribute to George Headley, saying he was the “greatest batsman ever to walk this earth”.